ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is taking a critical step to modernize the state's transportation infrastructure and expand broadband access to rural and underserved communities, officials announced Monday.
According to a release by GDOT, the agency has selected a partner for its statewide broadband project, which will install 1,400 miles of broadband infrastructure along all interstates in the Peach State. That partner is Plenary Broadband Infrastructure (PBI) and broadband access is another term for high-speed internet access.
When completed, a portion of the broadband infrastructure will be dedicated to GDOT's traffic operations, with additional capacity reserved for commercial use. Officials said this will provide faster, more reliable broadband access for communities, households and businesses in 70 Georgia counties.
GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said the expansion also brings an added benefit of modernizing the transportation infrastructure as it will enable innovations like connected vehicles and smart traffic systems to improve safety and efficiency.
"Expanding broadband access throughout Georgia is critical to bridging the digital divide, ensuring that rural and underserved communities can access essential online services for education, healthcare and economic opportunities," McMurry stated.
Under the agreement, PBI will be responsible for maintaining not only the broadband network infrastructure dedicated to GDOT's traffic operations but also operating, maintaining and commercializing the broadband network dedicated to commercial use. In addition, PBI will provide payments to GDOT based on the revenue made from the commercialization of the network, according to a release.
"This is an innovative approach to project delivery and financing that leverages the private sector to meet the state's transportation and broadband infrastructure needs," McMurry said.
To learn more about the project, click here.
